The Volga Tatars are in the ranks of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army

The armed struggle of the peoples enslaved by Moscow for freedom and independence is the most taboo topic in imperial historiography. One can be proud of Musa Jalil (without looking deeply into the reasons for the creation of Tatar military formations in the Wehrmacht). Admiration for General Shaimuratov is welcome. It is even allowed to have a little cry in memory of those scientists, imams and mullahs, writers, poets and artists who were executed in thousands by the red Moscow in the 1918-1950s. In 1937 alone, 3,056 people were shot in Tatarstan. And that is just for a year! But even remembering the victims of repression, the Tatars should repeat that “not everything is so simple” – so that the Russians would not suddenly think that the Tatars held a grudge because of some trifling executions. In Tatar academic circles, it is considered good form to emphasize that the Bolsheviks executed not only the Tatars, but also the Russians – this fact should somehow smooth out all the suffering that the Tatars endured as part of Russia.

However, what is strictly forbidden is to talk about armed struggle against the empire and against the enslavement of the Tatars. Hence the prohibitions on holding “Хәтер көне” (Day of Remembrance). Hence the demonization of the Idel-Ural legion, that fought against the Red Army during the Second World War.

Today we want to tell you about one more forbidden page of the Tatar history – the Tatars in the ranks of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.

How did non-Ukrainians get into the Ukrainian Insurgent Army? As a rule, these were Red Army soldiers who either escaped from captivity or were released by the Germans from captivity – this is also a little-known page in history, when the Germans released thousands of captured Red Army soldiers to work in their rear. These were both Red Army Ukrainians and representatives of other nations, in particular, Russians, Azerbaijanis, Kumyks, Circassians, Tatars, Bashkirs, as well as representatives of the Finno-Ugric peoples of the Idel-Ural.

“The Tatars were among the first to go over to the side of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. Moreover, they not only went over, but also began to boldly fight in the insurgent ranks. Many documents about this remained. In particular, in mid-November 1943, there were about 50 Tatars united in one couple in the hundred of Gamalia, located in Bortniki village, Tlumachskii district. They were commanded by a native of Kuban, a senior lieutenant named Sergei. … At the end of 1943, former Red Army soldiers who came from the Volga region, Central Asia and the Caucasus, who were in the insurgent departments on the territory of Galicia, by order of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army command, were sent to Volyn … “, Oleg Stetsishin, the researcher of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army history and the author of the book Bandera`s International says.

Below is a list of Tatars who fought in one single hundred of “Pevnyi” (a company (rota) of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army was called hundred) as part of the group of “Bogun” (commander Petro Oliynyk), that was part of the “Ukrainian Insurgent Army-South”.

• Shekir Shonardenov – “Kolya”, born in 1920, Kazan city. Education: 5 classes. In the Ukrainian Insurgent Army since October 1943. Rank (in the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, instead of military ranks, there was a system of ranks, where a Cossack corresponded to an ordinary soldier): Cossack. Tatar.

• Tagir Muzin – “Shumak”, born in 1910. Education: 7 classes. In the Ukrainian Insurgent Army since October 15, 1943 Rank: Cossack. Tatar.
• Fayzulla Safin – “Lame”, born in 1918, Kazan city. Education: 6 classes. In the Ukrainian Insurgent Army since October 1943. Rank: Cossack. Tatar.
• Khorun Duskanov – “Kost”, born in 1908. Education: 5 classes. In the Ukrainian Insurgent Army since October 1943. Rank: Cossack. Tatar.
• F. Dautov – “Fedya”, born in 1915, Bashkortostan. Education: 4 classes. In the Ukrainian Insurgent Army since October 1943. Rank: Cossack. Tatar.
• F. Khoseinov – “Tailor”, born in 1911, Kazan city. Education: 3 classes. In the Ukrainian Insurgent Army since October 1943. Rank: Cossack. Tatar.
• Magomed Sharipov – “Misha”, born in 1914, Kazan city. Education: 3 classes. In the Ukrainian Insurgent Army since October 1943. Rank: Cossack. Tatar.
• Ghidiyat (Ghibat) Islaimov (name and surname are illegible), born in 1905, Ufa city. Education: 2 classes. In the Ukrainian Insurgent Army since October 1943. Rank: Cossack. Tatar.

This is by no means a complete list of the Volga Tatars who fought in the ranks of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. Unfortunately, we know very little about the majority of  the Tatars, the followers of Bandera. Perhaps some of our readers will find their relatives in this list and will be able to supplement the short biographical note. In any case, the Tatars in the ranks of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army are the bright page in the recent history of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan. The post-war destiny of these people was different. Someone died under the Ukrainian flag, fighting with the NKVD or the Germans, someone deserted from the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and surrendered to SMERSH units, others were captured and served their sentences in Soviet concentration camps. What is known for certain is that not a single Tatar, being in the ranks of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, did what the Soviet government did in his homeland: he did not close mosques, did not arrest or execute the Tatar intellectuals, did not take away the language, religion, history and culture from his people. Әйдәгез аларны искә төшерик